The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch that can be used to detect whether a portable telephone, notebook PC, or similar miniature electronic equipment is open or closed.
Heretofore, switches called limit switches have widely been used as "open" and "closed" position detectors for electronic equipment. Many of the limit switches utilize the snap action of a spring contact to drive a movable contact.
The conventional limit switches are so complex in their contact driving mechanism that they cannot be miniaturized. Besides, because of large stroke lengths required for the switching operation of the actuator (a pushbutton), they are not suitable for use as switches to detect the open/closed position of small-sized electronic equipment such as a portable telephone or notebook PC.